A good way to prepare for face-lift surgery is to equip yourself with all of the do's and don'ts previous to your surgery, as well as understanding what is going to happen during the procedure. Most importantly, prepare yourself for the after effects; this will minimize your recovery time and trips to your physician post-op.
Consultation and Two-weeks Before
In the consultation, you and your surgeon will go over the procedure and what results you are likely to get from it. This consultation can help you avoid any mistakes or unsatisfactory results from your procedure. Here you can go over your surgeon's qualifications and experience with the procedure as well.
Two weeks before the face lift, you must stop smoking. The reason you are asked to do this is because of the effect that smoking has on the blood flow, which may cause you to heal negatively. This same principle applies two weeks following the surgery as well. You should also avoid taking any blood thinners, ibuprofen or Vitamin E. Your surgeon may give you other instructions prior to your surgery, so be sure to let your physician know at this time if you are on any medications because these medications could affect the outcome of your surgery.
The Day Before and The Day Of
The day before the procedure, wash your hair; this minimizes the risk of infection. You should drinking any alcoholic beverages before the procedure. The day of the face lift, you will be given local or general anesthesia, so you should arrange someone to take you home. Also arrange to have someone help you around the house with cooking and cleaning after the surgery. This will speed up your recovery time.
What to Expect After the Procedure
Your recovery time is expected to be one to several weeks, according to DocShop.com. You will have to wear a bandage around your head and face after the procedure for a few weeks. These bandages will help the healing process and reduce swelling. You will also have to wear a drainage tube behind your ear, which is used to keep blood or fluid from accumulating under your skin. Although you will be in some pain, you will be prescribed pain medication to take. Also, do not be alarmed if you experience some numbness, discoloration or swelling of your face; this is normal and will start to fade away after about two weeks.
Tags: recovery time, your surgery, also avoid, before procedure, have wear, should also